According to a recent report by Football.London, Premier League giants Chelsea are set to receive a massive £48.5m financial windfall this summer, after the proposed permanent sale of Spanish international striker Alvaro Morata to Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard, who was initially signed from Real Madrid by Chelsea for a slightly heftier fee, didn’t enjoy the greatest of spells during his time in the Premier League. One thing that can be said for sure though is that Chelsea must reinvest the Morata transfer fee this summer.
The former Real Madrid man struggled to create any sort of impact in West London, and his performance levels were often too poor to warrant a place on the Blues’ bench. Neither Antonio Conte, nor Maurizio Sarri was able to bring the best out of the Atletico Madrid ace, and since his move back to the Spanish capital, he has been seen firing on all cylinders. Often seen walking around the final third of the pitch aimlessly during matches, the 27-year-old wasn’t ever respected by even the most faithful of Chelsea supporters.
What Did Morata Achieve At Stamford Bridge?
The Spaniard arrived at Stamford Bridge with monstrous expectations already weighing him down. The strike position has, historically, been one of massive concern for Chelsea, and the purchase of Morata was seen as a step away from this damning trend. While the initial signs were positive, the Spaniard’s apparent lack of determination and fight was clear to see from his second week at the club. While the former Real Madrid man is a good finisher, he just wasn’t able to match up to the physical requirements of Premier League football. The 27-year-old’s numbers at Chelsea were quite poor after he registered 24 goals from 72 fixtures across multiple competitions.
The Atletico Madrid man did somehow manage to get into double figures in the league in his first season at the club. Still, a return of 11 goals from 31 fixtures from a striker of the Spaniard’s reputations seemed completely unacceptable by Chelsea standards.
The next league season triggered the beginning of the end for Morata’s Chelsea career, as he picked up just five goals from 16 appearances, before finally being shipped back to Madrid in January. The deal with Atletico Madrid also involved a clause which saw the La Liga side purchase the player at the end of his one and a half year loan spell.
Chelsea Must Reinvest The Morata Transfer Fee: Two Positions Lampard Must Prioritise
Left-Back
The Blues’ current options for the left-back role include Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri, and while that doesn’t sound too bad on paper, there is an alarming lack of security that runs through both those names. The Italian, formerly of AS Roma, knows perfectly well how to defend, but offers next to nothing while going in the opposite direction.
Alonso, on the other hand, is like the polar opposite of the Italian, in that he cannot defend a situation even if his life depended on it. The acquisition of a left-back with a balanced skill-set needs to be right at the top of Lampard’s summer wish-list.
Centre-Forward
In Tammy Abraham, the Blues have unearthed an absolute gem of a Premier League striker, but asking one man to lead the line at a club like Chelsea for the entirety of the season would be looking for trouble. The presence of Olivier Giroud will ease some pressure off the Englishman’s head, but the other option – Michy Batshuayi, has been beyond poor this term. Replacing the Belgian with a secure number nine should also be quite high on Lampard’s summer to-do-list.
